Bloody Roar III: Help Me Heal
by Tiger5913
Summary: (OMG, Tiger actually continued this? The answer is yes: part two of this mini-series is up!) This is a stand-alone fic: what if one of the characters had lost something due to the consequences of a battle?
1. Default Chapter

6/13/01

6/13/01

Disclaimer: the characters such as Kenji, Uriko, etc. belong to Hudson Soft

Dedication: God, my parents, my 'brothers', Hudson for creating Bloody Roar I-III, and my readers, especially PokeDigi, StarryPeach, Xion, LazzyQ, Alica, Deoku, VGuyver, Flyby, and Niteflite.

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Bloody Roar III: Help Me Heal

By Tiger5913

The scent of the musky air reached his nose; soft splashing noises were made as waves gently rolled simultaneously, colliding with the sandy shoreline. Squawking came from birds that flew overhead, and he could feel the cool breeze envelop his lean, well-built form. His hand curled into a fist when the familiar tingle ran through his body at the warmth that emitted from the last weak rays. The sun began to slowly slip underneath the hills, ready to move on and allow the moon to take its place in the sky.

Thin strands of tall green grass brushed against his bare lower thigh, tickling him slightly, and a look of sadness formed over his expression. He direly missed everything, even though only two weeks had passed; it wasn't fair, only seventeen and already losing something so important. To think it had been caused by a single decision, and one that he would live to regret for the rest of his life.

_If I hadn't chosen to go battle…_

How he wished that he could turn back time, and rethink it through, more thoroughly, or if only he had enhanced being careful. If only, if only, if only… the forlorn wishes of a fool that knew they could never be granted, never come true. Yet still, he hoped, even though others believed that the return of his gift was impossible, couldn't happen. Perhaps if he tried harder, put more effort into striving for the goal, it could finally happen… he could regain what he had lost…

But what good would it do waste energy getting his hopes up, if everything collapsed in the end, what he had left turned into absolutely nothing. The situation just felt so arbitrary, something precious like that being taken away from him in a split second. He could remember the event like it was yesterday, the adrenaline rush that surged through his veins as he was battling. Brawling so hard that he hadn't expected the blow that swiped in from the side, slashing across his face, bringing such intense pain.

His animal beast form agreed with the human tucked inside him when he let loose a loud screech that seared through many people's hearing. Pain mingled with deception and resentment as he fell to his knees, sliding up his two large claws to cover his burning flesh. Now his opponent would end the fight; he was dueling alone, relied on his other allies to each take on their own individual foes. A sudden hiss cut through his senses, and his head snapped up, reveling in the familiarity of the call, recognizing it as the growl of a cat.

Cries of agony rang into the atmosphere as fierce swiping sounds rang in his ears, his partner going in and taking care of the rest of the battle. It was over in minutes, though it felt like an eternity before silence fell in the area, and a warm hand rested onto his shoulder comfortingly. Immediately, he changed back, his present looks melting into human features, yet the pain still stung him. After dragging it out for a long, endless moment, he finally stopped stalling and confronted what he inwardly feared.

All that occurred several weeks ago, yet the event still occupied his mind and haunted his consciousness. The others had started looking upon him in pity, and he despised it, the feeling of being helpless, worthless and unable to do anything productive. Every evening before the sun fought to see the last glimpse of his city, he went to the beach, just to sit and relax. He was by himself at those times, shying away from the rest of the world, as he felt satisfied with knowing that no one else was around.

There was only one he cared to have in his company, the person that had saved him in the battle many days ago. Seated on the soft cotton blanket, his back leaning against a tall smooth rock, he awaited the arrival of his companion. As the wind tore through his dark blue bangs, he maintained his stationary posture, uncaring of the other ongoing events. At that time, the beach scarcely had inhabitants, for the busy hours were in the afternoon, when the sun blared down upon everyone. He was in his own reclusive little state of mind, and could care less about what was happening elsewhere.

A quite voice broke through his thoughts, "Hi…"

Smiling warmly, he beamed; the waiting was over, and he wouldn't truly be isolated anymore. He wanted to be alone at times, but even thinking that, he still wanted someone there for him, someone to hold, to embrace. And now that person had come to be his comfort.

"Thanks for coming… I know I must bring you down sometimes with all my depressing talk," he said that albeit regretfully, bitterness aligning his tone.

"No, don't worry about that, I'm here for you, after all…"

Slender arms intertwined around his waist and he felt warmth grazing the left side of his body as a figure sat down beside him. Raising a hand, he reached out and tentatively stroked his fingers through the beautiful hair that had always been finely crafted silk material to him. The strands were thin and smooth, and he bunched a small group together, pressing it against his cheek. Something soft and fervid brushed against his lips softly, and his hand left the tress to enfold the person into his arms.

"I-I think I should stop hoping…" he bit the words off.

"What?" came the astonished reply to his suggestion. "No! Don't do that, you shouldn't ever give up hope!"

"This is really hard," he ground out through clenched teeth, balling up a fist in frustration. "I keep thinking that I'm just going to be disappointed with the eventual outcome! What am I going to do then??"

"Just… keep working for it-"

"Wishes are for fools." He interrupted. "They never came through for me, and I always just end up being discouraged, and scold myself for being so stupid in the first place."

She bit her lip. "Fools? Okay then, I guess I'm a fool, because I _do_ have wishes, and most of them come true in the end…"

"Maybe yours are more reasonable than mine," he countered. "Or I'm just not good enough or deserving of what I want."

"I hate it when you're like this…" her voice sounded slightly choked. "Stop it, okay…? I feel torn up when you start saying things like that…"

"…I'm sorry…" He hugged her fiercely, gently pressing her cheek into his chest. "I'm just so damn **frustrated**… I didn't mean to take it out on you though, I really am sorry…"

"…That's alright," she sighed. "I know sometimes you just need to release your emotions somehow… I-I'll be your punching bag anytime you need it."

"No!" he refused. "I don't want you to be the target of my selfish crap and void of anger! You don't deserve to be treated like that…"

"And neither do you! So please, don't keep tormenting yourself like this, because it affects me also, and I feel horrible when I see you in pain…"

Not offering a verbal answer, he just tilted her chin up and kissed her. A dark thought hung in the back of his mind; how could he ever be able to physically show his love for her? His condition would make that fairly difficult to accomplish… but he knew that if he could, the first thing he would do was that, to make love to her, thank her for all the times that she had been by his side.

_I… I want to marry you someday…_

"Okay…" he heard her whisper softly in between their embraces.

His eyes widened slightly, for he didn't realize that he had verbally emitted the words, and then her reply sunk in. "…Really?"

"Yeah," she told him.

A little stunned, but pleased as well with her acceptance, he held her closely, the couple exchanging acts of affection as darkness started claiming the sky. She noticed but didn't say anything; he was completely oblivious to the scenery, concentrating only on her. Wishes were for fools… and within weeks, or even days if their patience met its end, he was sure that he would be the perfect example of a fool, when they were certain that he wouldn't recover.

Because… ever since he had received that blow from the fight, he opened his eyes, and saw nothing but murkiness. And in that second, day was instantly stolen from him, as well as all the other beautiful sights that life had to offer. He wouldn't be able to view his beloved's face again, and all that was taken away from him so quickly. His young teenage years screamed that it was unfair, but there was nothing he could do about it, no cure.

Other senses that he possessed were all he could use now to paint pictures, and the memories he had stored in his mind was what he had left of his former world of sight. Whatever images slipped away from him, he would always hold onto a shot of his girlfriend; if he ever forgot how she looked, he wouldn't ever forgive himself. She felt guilty for his condition, claiming that if she had come to his rescue earlier, she could have prevented what happened to him.

But he didn't blame her at all. His anger was directed at himself, for acting so inane, not taking enough precaution before just charging into the situation. And this was his punishment, one that he would not ever be able to forget. A small part of him inside thought that he probably should be grateful for not losing any other of his senses. Sight was already bad enough, but at least he still was able to smell the fresh dew of morning, hear the footsteps of approaching people.

He could still taste the sweetness juicing out of food, and feel the smooth skin of his significant other. But all the while, he wondered if that was enough for her, if she was satisfied with what she had; he knew that she deserved more. He longed to see her again, gaze into the light brown shade of her chocolate brown eyes, and catch the sunlight gleaming off of her waist-length auburn hair. However, that was nothing but an empty wish, for him to renew the mental picture of her that he had in his mind… And since wishes were for fools, he knew that he would remain the same a week from the present time, and everyday after that.

Kenji Ohgami was blind.

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To be continued…

Author's Note: This is a stand-alone fic, and isn't relevant to any of my other stories. I just wanted to try writing a piece about how one of my favorite characters would feel if s/he was injured from a battle, and lost his/her sight. I hope that this was meaningful and really lets people realize how there are some irreplaceable things that sometimes we take for granted. And yet, we shouldn't judge others if they do have those kinds of disabilities, but instead by supportive of them. One question: should I let Kenji regain his sight? Not that Uriko's view of him would change either way, but I am going to write a continuation of this, so I want to hear you reader's thoughts.

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With love for my fans,

Tiger5913


	2. When Miracles Happen

4/12/04

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Uriko, Kenji, etc. belong to Hudson Soft; I don't own them though I wish I did!  *waggles eyebrows mysteriously* Gee, what I could do with them…  *eyes glaze over*

Dedication: God, my parents, my 'brothers', Hudson for creating Bloody Roar I-III and giving me a really good reason to write this story, and my readers, especially Sheila, PrettyKinkyBoy, Andrew Glasco, IndigoSiren, gery, RAYClovis, Expert Predator, kitty girl, Phoebz, Xardion, Cela, Darkworld, CuddlyChris, and all of you wonderful readers!!

**Bloody Roar III: When Miracles Happen**

**By Tiger5913**

          Rustling noises, shoes squeaking as they padded against the pavement, people calling out to each other, the feel of bustling bodies moving by one another…

These were the noises of actions from a normal, everyday crowd.  How that concept felt so foreign to him now, to be around others, once again involved in the busy social part of life.  Walking around on the sidewalks, strolling past fellow inhabitants, that was such a usual practice for any normal person to do, yet it was the last thing he wanted.  Even with his significant other by his side, he loathed being in such a setting he considered to be crowded, and was hit by a desire to leave immediately.

_Sitting at home sounds great right about now…_

          As the incapacitated teenager felt a slight shift in movement, he tightened his arm, securely holding onto the warm length beside his body.  This uncomfortable feeling was growing stronger, and he silently wondered to him if he should voice this concern to the person next to him.  His ears detected low humming, which indicated content with the current situation, and so he refrained from verbalizing his inner selfishness.  Such a fitting piece in society deserved to be out in the open, where everyone could view the beauty anyway, instead of being hogged by a single bystander.

          A small smile teased about his lips when he felt warmth suddenly rest down onto his shoulder and at the familiarity of silkiness tickling his throat.  Somehow, his partner had sensed discomfort in his figure and sought to cheer him up as usual - what a wonderfully divine soul.  He appreciated that no words needed to be said; for the majority of his seventeen years, he had been introverted by nature anyway, speaking little unless he really desired to converse with certain people that he cared for.  How far the pair intended to travel, he had no idea, but he would gladly walk to the ends of the earth for this particular person strolling next to him.

The noises of surrounding city inhabitants grew quieter and eventually almost completely died away, to his great relief.  The level of perception being shown truly amazed him, and he wondered, as many times before, what he did to deserve such a gift, this vision of loveliness that would forever stay imprinted in his mind.  His smile stretched a bit wider, an action only ensued when around his beloved, a special that he saved because he only wanted a particular person to have that impact on him.  An unexpected gust of breeze chilled his bared lower arms slightly just then, wordlessly informing the young man that dusk was approaching.

          "It's getting late…" he stated matter-of-factly, just wanting to break the silence and hear the familiar sweet melodic voice in his ears.

          "Yeah, I know, the sun's going down…  You wanna go back now?"

          "Sure, but I'll leave it up to you.  How far did we wander off?"

          "Um… kinda far, actually…" a sheepish laugh noised, making the seventeen-year-old male start to grin a bit.  "Hey, but I heard of a faster way to get home from some of my friends at school who live around here…  I haven't been down it before, but it's probably better than retracting our steps all the way back…"

          Resourceful, too; he just had to chuckle at the remarkable display.  "Let's go for it-"

          "Okay!" came the immediate reply of barely-concealed enthusiasm.

          That smile already on his face was threatening to grow again - ah, but it was truly the perils of young love - and then he quickly continued, "If you're worried about running into scary menaces on our way and the like, then rest assured, for I'll protect you, heh."

          "I know you will…" a soft sigh full of contentment and trust delved into his eagerly-perked ears.

          As usual, he allowed himself to be led the way, no longer deathly resentful of being treated like an invalid when it was his reality now.  Sight had been taken from him but a little over two weeks ago, and it did disturb him just a tad at how easily he had seemed to adjust.  Of course, without the help of his devoted companion, the transition would have undoubtedly been harder, but thankfully he had steadfast support.  That was infinitely more precious to him than anything else, even the full health of his own presently-damaged body, and took the leisure walking time to contemplate his life.

          Kenji Ohgami was a zoanthrope youth that had been trained in and already mastered the fighting style of ninjutsu in his earlier years.  He lived a dangerous life, as countless others of his kind had, and it was unfortunate that he just happened to become a casualty.  The last battle he participated in rendered him blind, a furious blow to his pride as well as his very dignity as a person.  At the young prime age of seventeen, he was now partially helpless and required constant assistance to get around, not quite used to the advantages of his other senses just yet.

          While the others continued living dangerously and occasionally were out fighting, Kenji had to stay at home, or rather, he could be anywhere he wanted as long as he didn't interfere and hamper the group's process.  His older brother, Yugo Ohgami, along with his former nurse girlfriend, were often busy with many responsibilities, as he was the leader of an organization that fought for a world where humans could coexist peacefully with a special race, zoanthropes.  How odd it was that just the very word alone could send chills down the spine of many humans, especially the ones that truly feared those with special blood and abilities running through their veins.

          Well, certainly there was no reason for people to fear the young ninja, since he presented little threat in his current status.  There was once a period where many were afraid of him back when numerous victims had died by his hands… but that was some time ago.  He was fourteen then, unwillingly controlled by a madman, and plagued with the innocent stereotype of a youth even though he alone had killed countless people.  Kenji knew he could never redeem himself for such atrocious acts, and perhaps his blindness was a twisted sort of compensation to align with his past sins.

          Deeply engrossed in his reflections, he was suddenly startled when he felt his companion stop just then and felt his body tense up a bit; "…Is something wrong?"

          "Whoo, hey there honey, now what's a cutie like you doin' out this late?"

          Upon hearing that provocative call, Kenji immediately twisted his face into a scowl, irritated at the potential trouble, especially when the grip on his arm tightened a little.  "Don't listen to them, Kenji…  Let's just keep walking, okay?"

          _If that scum lays a hand on her, I'll…_  He obliged to the soft plea and continued walking in the same direction and the same pace, trying to hide his agitation at what had just transpired.

          "Who the hell's that blind guy, your grandpa or somethin'?"  A second voice joined, obviously trying to provoke the ninja's anger, indicating there was more than one aggravating instigator, but his target merely scoffed.

          _So I may be blind… that doesn't mean I can't hurt you._  Kenji was admittedly annoyed by the last remark made, but he knew that keeping quiet was the best move, as his girlfriend wouldn't want to get into a random fight.  And besides, he had no idea how many more people there were around him, and he didn't want to ask aloud and further imply his weaknesses.  Drawing in crisp sharp breaths, he exhaled slowly, soothing the irritation that had begun to grow inside him, and just kept walking along.

The punks weren't particularly ingenious or profoundly perceptive in noticing his incapacity.  After all, there was indeed a strip of white cloth wrapped around his head, constructed by himself because he didn't want to feel the sun's warmth so close to his face and know that he couldn't view the rays.  The teenaged girl next to him held onto his arm tightly in implied assistance, trying more so to show affection rather than draw attention that he needed help.  Yet still, there was no denying that he had a handicap, and that was the absence of his eyesight, a possibly great hindrance.

          Apparently, the bystanders weren't done with tormenting the innocent couple.  "Hey, don't fuckin' ignore me when I'm talkin' to you!"

The male teenager released a slight growl under his throat and hugged the arm of his partner closer to him, wondering how much more he would have to put up with.  A sudden whoosh sounded just then and he felt a hard shove dealt to his unoccupied side, the rush sending Kenji unwillingly flying into his companion.  As they both hit the floor, three voices yelled aloud simultaneously in obnoxious triumph, revealing that there was a trio around and probably no more than that.  The ninja arose shakily, and made sure his significant other had gotten back into a standing position as well, before he casually shifted into a defensive pose with both arms raised and ready to strike if necessary.

          "Oh look, the little wussy boy wants to fight us!  Ain't that cute, boys!"  The presumable leader provoked, sharing a laugh with the rest of his posse while the ninja felt his anger tickled.

          "Uriko… they are aggravating me…" Kenji warned his companion, his voice low and carefully controlled.

          He immediately felt her body warmth behind his back and twin hands briefly gripped his shoulders; "Yeah, they're not exactly the nicest guys in the world… but, but do you think we really should fight them…?"

          "No, not really…" he admitted quietly, then continued, "But be careful, they just threatened us.  I don't think they'll let us go until we beat them."

          "Okay, so I guess if they throw the first punch, _then_ we fight back…  Are you sure you can-I mean, are you sure you wanna fight them, Kenji?"

          His lips bristled at the implication of his vulnerability, but he understood her concern so all he allowed in response was a curt nod.  During this time the couple took to contemplate their situation, the three delinquents were annoyed at being ignored and the leader jerked his head in a silent order.  The other two instantly moved and one quickly went for Kenji, digging an elbow into his abdomen and made him falter to one side, leaving his girlfriend open.  The remaining bystander dashed toward the female and lunged for her, tackling her to the ground; she cried out as she was forced down.

          "Uriko!"  The ninja hollered upon hearing of her distress while simultaneously groaning his own pain, facial features aligned in a scowl as he grasped a hold of the person atop him.  He rendered the perpetrator unconscious by way of slamming both fists down atop the head before throwing him off with ease, flinging him several feet away as he then sought out to locate his girlfriend and help with her whatever predicament that had been forced on her.  Succumbing to his other senses, he listened to the direction that the noises were coming from and ran toward the source, arms outstretched while his hands eagerly grabbed fistfuls of clothing material.  Kenji forcibly removed the punk that had straddled his girlfriend and flung him away, feeling a sick sort of satisfaction when he heard the crunch of a body slamming against a brick wall, while a weak groan was uttered.

Still, he felt rather thankful at the knowledge that this wasn't going to be a long battle by the way things were happening.

"Are you all right?"  He inquired of his significant other, bending down and blindly feeling around until he was able to take her arm and swiftly lift her up to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm okay!"  Uriko Nonomura piped in reassurance, and then proceeded to voice confidently, "I swear I would've gotten that jerk off of me in just another minute!"

A partial smirk grazed his lips as he replied, "I know you're fully capable of doing just that… I didn't mean to degrade your abilities or anything, but I did promise to protect you, Uriko."

While exchanging their shared affectionate remarks, the couple had apparently forgotten the last of the little group.  Furious that they both had so casually resisted the attack, the leader went after Kenji with harmful intent, one hand slipping into his pocket to grasp a weapon.  Noticing the sudden momentum, Uriko gasped and reacted quickly, pushing the ninja rather hard to force him to the side while she received the blunt of the blow.  The knife, forming gleaming of shining silver, was now streaked with her blood after it sliced past her side, inflicting a wound that wasn't fatal, but still serious nonetheless.

          "Augh-!"  The teenage girl groaned from the damage and fell back, one hand immediately rising to press against the injury.

          The ninja was surprised by the sudden shove, from his girlfriend of all people, but he instantly figured she had done so for a selfless purpose if her pained cry was any indication.  "…?!  Uriko?  What happened??"

          "God, what a little wimp!"  The remaining attacker snorted in disgust.  "Didn't mean to slash ya there, honey, but hell, you're the one that got in way!"

          Kenji had gotten up and began walking toward his girlfriend, but those cold uncaring words stopped his movement as his head jerked in the direction of the most recent speaker.  "…What did you just do to her?"

          The leader just laughed loudly in response, as if he found this whole situation to be hysterically amusing rather than a serious matter.  The blind fighter pealed his lips back in a snarl and turned his head toward the direction of his girlfriend, his expression worried as he wondered if he should avert his attention or not.  She winced as pain lanced through her nerves just then and mewed almost inaudibly, but Kenji heard and instantly started toward her again.  Taking advantage of the momentary hesitation, the lone punk scowled lowly and repeated his earlier tactic, rushing at his male opponent, knife raised and eagerly ready to slash down.

          "K-Kenji!  Look out!!"

          The ninja instinctively ducked upon hearing her warning, but unfortunately his adversary was striking in a downward motion and therefore he was still in harm's way.  Temporarily disregarding her wound, Uriko dashed toward the dangerous entity and thrust both hands forward; this shoved Kenji away and once again, she received the blow that had been meant for him.  This new strike landed on her shoulder and was a bit more severe than the last one, as the blade delved a little into her skin before skidding out when she twisted her body.  Although she could have been hurt even worse had she not escaped at the particular moment, the female fighter now had two injuries and both were bleeding.

          "O-oww…" Uriko murmured in pain as she landed on her rear and clutched her shoulder with one hand, her teeth clenched to try and conceal any other noises of discomfort that should want to be elicited.

          Kenji had almost fallen himself, but he managed to stagger back to his feet and his brows curled into a deep frown when he realized what she had just conscientiously done for him.  Twice she had saved from getting hurt and the fleeting memory of his promise to protect her came rushing back in his mind, a silent inner voice belittling the ninja for not keeping true to it.  A bark of harsh laughter revealed that his position was closer to the assaulter than his girlfriend and he quickly threw an apologetic look toward her direction, as he hoped she would understand what he was about to do.  His head quickly jerked toward the punk; "Urrrr…  How dare you touch her, you rotten bastard…!"

          "Aw, what'chu gonna do about it, wussy boy?" came the provoking and undaunted backlash.  "Your little girlfriend's had to save your ass two times already; why the hell should I be afraid of you?  You can't do shit to me, hah, hah!"

          _This despicable jackass might be human…  _Kenji contemplated, hesitating even as his body readied to explode with the power of his hidden ability that would definitely aid him in this fight, even short as it was. _ I probably shouldn't do this… but he hurt my Uriko, and not once, twice…!_  He growled at the thought and his fist clenched tightly by his side.

          As it turned out, the stationary ninja didn't have to sit there for long and wonder what to do; his opponent acted first and therefore so graciously made the decision for him.  His ears detected noises, and more specifically, movement, as the nameless punk started running forward, knife in hand and disturbingly eager to punish.  Kenji knew he was coming but wasn't worried the slightest, and in fact, he allowed a smirk to graze his lips and gave false confidence to the foolish, undisciplined fighter.  At the last second before he was about to be struck, his arms drew in closely to his chest and his body spun in a small, fast circle as energy blasted from his form, slamming into the adversary and knocked him back a few feet.

          When the brief shot of light faded from the otherwise darkening scenery, the seventeen-year-old emerged in his beast form, one long-clawed hand raised to cover his face.  It had been a while since he last morphed, but the instincts of his mole counterpart quickly adapted to the surrounding dusk, his whiskered nose intently sniffing the air to detect other beings.  His shirt was torn from the transformation and lay tattered in pieces on the ground, but thankfully his fur protected him from the cold while he still wore lower body attire.  A short distance away, Uriko blinked in a bit of a stupor, surprised that her boyfriend had made such a decision and fervently hoped that he wouldn't end the fight with a fatality…

          "Y-you… you're one of those animal freaks…!!"  The sitting punk sputtered almost incoherently, his hold on the knife wavering a bit as his widened eyes locked onto Kenji's form fearfully.

          The mole merely shrieked his discontent, uncaring of the insult that was just spilled forth, focusing on just one goal in his mind as he slowly stalked forward.  Unfamiliar urges arose in the young man and clouded by his anger, his arms twitched slightly as the deadly blades replacing his fingers moved in swishing motion with his steps.  Since he hadn't morphed in a couple of weeks, Kenji hadn't grasped a hold of control yet, though perhaps he didn't want to, for the animal's natural instincts were soothing in comparison to his growing anger.  Bitterly recalling that the punk had struck his beloved, the morphed zoanthrope screeched shrilly and suddenly increased his walking pace, overwhelmed with the desire to inflict harm.

          "Raaugh!!"  His opponent shouted in reprisal and launched himself at Kenji, still frightened by the revelation but foolishly intent on exacting revenge for his fallen allies.  The attacked fighter quickly responded by raising his arms and one hand caught the knife between his own bodily-constructed blades, while its partner ripped a vicious slash across the assaulter's chest.  Releasing a cry of pain, his hold on the weapon faltered and slipped through the thin slits; after it had dropped away completely, the mole jerked him harshly to the side.  Concealed by the white material around his head, twin red eyes blazed and glowed with an unholy ferocity as the owner thrust forth his claws to press against the back of his opponent's neck.

          "Ahhh!  P-p-p-please d-d-don't kill me…!!  I-I-I swear I won't m-mess with you or your girl again-!!!"  Reduced to whimpering cowardice, the delinquent shuddered visibly and pleaded for his life, lips trembling as his eyes closed in expectance of the worst situation.

          Uriko's heart skipped a beat when she saw her companion in position to kill; she, too, called out worriedly, "Kenji…!"

          The ninja immediately twisted his head around in her direction when her words had struck a chord in him deep down somewhere.  He listened to the frantic and ragged breathing of the bastard that he currently held in his claws and admitted to liking the power that he'd suddenly been bestowed.  But when he thought about the next step that had to be taken after capturing his prey… he wasn't so sure that he wanted it anymore.  The human part of Kenji's mind remembered his days as an assassin a few years ago, and truly didn't want to return to such a hideous state.

Only once had he come this close to killing someone after being released from his brainwashed state under a certain estranged scientist, and that was when he was fifteen.  A man named Xion had threatened to destroy all of Yugo's hard work by running around and causing havoc amongst zoanthropes, slaying those chosen by the beast mark while harming many humans that got in the way.  Kenji had tracked the evil silver-haired man down and followed him to an apparently-sacred temple, where the two had engaged in a long and grueling battle.  After drawing power from his hyperbeast state, he had managed to beat the older zoanthrope, almost to the point of death, but the young ninja walked out before he could strike the final blow.

Why had he left without fully finishing the job?  As much as Yugo would have appreciated the idea behind the actions, he definitely wouldn't want someone to die just so a debt of saving a young child could be repaid.  Kenji respected his brother's compassionate heart and didn't kill Xion, although at the time, he direly wanted to, and had to restrain himself quite vigorously.  From that day onward, he'd vowed to never take another life no matter what the circumstances, and yet right now in this uneasy situation, his word was being tested.

Although he couldn't see her expression, somehow, the young man could sense that Uriko was uncomfortable with the thought of him killing the punk, despite what he had done to the innocent couple.  The predicament conflicted in his mind for some time, but finally he decided not to end this pathetic being's existence, yet he still wanted to punish him, so he opted for the next best thing.  Remaining in his beast form, Kenji encircled the adversary's neck with his claws and feigned tightening his grip, screeching shrilly to add to his growing anxiety.  He could tell that his opponent was very afraid in thinking that he was going to die, and so the ninja sought to use the rising apprehension to his advantage.

          "N-no, shit…!  U-urgh…" the leader of the small trio protested weakly before he slumped into unconsciousness, his head rolling aimlessly to the side as his body muscles fully and suddenly relaxed. 

          "......" Without any purpose to emit more sounds, the mole tossed the limp form to the side, making sure he landed in the little patch of grass nearby rather than the hard concrete floor.  His elongated nose sniffed the air again and caught the scent of blood; knowing what the source was made stirred his anger slightly, but he shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts free from his mind.  Silently but with purpose, Kenji swiftly walked toward his next destination, stopping only when he felt the tip of his shoes bump into a presence.   He immediately began reversing the transformation until he was back in human form before kneeling down to be at the same level as his injured partner.

          "Uriko… you shouldn't have done that…" the ninja chided albeit in a light tone, his hand hastily elevating to take a gentle hold of her arm as he slowly helped the aforementioned female up to her feet.

          "Hey, he was gonna chop you into sushi if I just sat there and did nothing-!"  Uriko protested to him insistently, while inwardly thankful that he couldn't see her face in a grimace as she stood and instantly gripped both of her wounds.  "Ouch…  O-kay… maybe what I did wasn't such a smart idea after all…"

          "Where… where did he strike you?"

          "Um… on my right shoulder…" she admitted hesitantly.

Kenji slowly ran his fingers up her arm and across to her shoulder, where he felt torn clothing and the sticky wetness of blood; his facial features twisted into an aggravated expression.  _I didn't know he broke her skin… he actually drew her blood, that bloody bastard…  _"This, and where else, Uriko?"

"What…what makes you think there's another one?"

"I knew he hit you twice because you pushed me aside that many times," the seventeen-year-old male reasoned sensibly, inwardly reminding himself to be patient with her and remember that she was just trying to spare his feelings even though it was his fault she had gotten hurt.  "Uriko, please, don't take me for a fool just because I'm blind."

"Hey, I-I'm not trying to do that…!" she denied heatedly, though her voice lowered just then to reveal, "…But yeah, you're right, he _did_ get me twice.  There's another…cut…down on the same side."

          _A mere "cut", she calls it…_  _For heaven's sake, Uriko, don't sugarcoat what that scum did to you…_  Kenji didn't voice his thoughts out loud, however, and wrinkled his nose just then when he noticed that the cloth wrapped around his eyes had loosened a bit, presumably from all the motions he'd ensued, and started to go down his face.  Sighing impatiently, he raised his free hand to grab a hold of the white tied material and ripped it upward, removing it from his head, uncaring of the landing while his twin lids slid up from bodily reflex.  

          What transpired in mere second shocked him into stunned silence; he noticed a great difference when his eyes had suddenly opened of their own accord.  Blinking rapidly, Kenji was direly confused when he discovered faint light and fuzzy blurs occupy his view, and the slender form of his girlfriend was right before his face.  He quickly glanced around to the other aspects of his current setting and was surprised to realize that darkness was no longer his only sight.  But naturally, he wondered, could he actually see, or was his mind playing a very convincing trick on him?

          "Uriko…?" he mumbled quietly just then as his head turned back to look at her, once again shocked that he could make out some of her facial features, though most of it was a bit blurry.

          Uriko herself was a little astonished that his light brown eyes were peering directly at her, seeming as if he could actually see her…  "Y-yeah…?  What's wrong, Kenji?  You look… kinda funny."

          The thought of sight returning all of a suddenly was impossible; it had to be, but perhaps if he voiced this, his secret wish could become a reality…  "Uriko, this might sound crazy, but I… I can see you…"

          "What?!"  She lurched back in surprise and made Kenji lose his hold on her shoulder in the process.  "You're not kidding, are you??"

          "I'm dead serious!"  He reached over and grasped both of her forearms, then stared straight into her eyes, hoping she would be able to see the emotions in his own pair.  "Look at me… can you believe that I can actually see again?"

          Uriko willingly obliged and indeed gazed at him carefully, noticing with great interest that his dark pupils were directly centered on her face.  She could spy something faintly swirling in his eyes, and though she was unable to identify what it was, she doubted he would fake such an action.  The teenage girl gasped softly when a fine sheen of mist appeared over his twin brown orbs and realized they were the beginning of tears - strange, considering she could rarely remember her boyfriend ever crying.  A squeak of surprise noised from her throat when Kenji suddenly advanced and his arms went around to her back, holding her slender form tightly as he buried his face into the sanctity of her long auburn hair.

          "Kenji… wow, this is so great!"  Her voice choked up just slightly as both vivid shock and elation shot through her at that very moment, but she quickly got past the short-lived barrage.  "I don't know what happened to get your sight back, but who cares??  Oh, just wait till the others hear about this!  They're all gonna be so happy!"

          "Yes… I think so too…" he whispered near silently, his words barely audible, but she still heard him due to her acute senses; he pulled back just then to forge eye-contact with his girlfriend once again.  "Uriko… I'm glad you're the first sight I got to see upon getting my vision back.  Even with… even with what happened to us, you've never looked more beautiful to me…"

          "Awww… you're always smooth with your words, huh, Kenji?  But still, thanks…" Uriko ducked her head slightly as she felt her cheeks grow warm with blush at the praise and she smiled sheepishly, but unfortunately grimaced when the reminder of her wounds came rushing back.  "Oww… I definitely don't like these stupid wounds…"

          "Oh, I almost forgot about them…" the ninja shot her an apologetic look and turned around, gesturing toward an intention as he voiced, "Get on my back; I'll carry you the rest of the way."

          "What?  Hey, there's nothing wrong with my legs!  I can walk by myself…" the female zoanthrope was a little embarrassed with her situation and appeared quite flustered at his proposal.

          They weren't face-to-face, but he still pleaded nevertheless; "Come on, if you can help me walk when I'm blind, I should be allowed to carry you when you're hurt.  Let me do this for you.  Please?"

          "Um… ack… what the heck, I guess it's okay.  I mean, you're being really nice and all, but I just don't want to put a whole bunch of stress on you right after you got your eyesight back," Uriko waited until Kenji had bent down a little before carefully climbing onto his back, her arms quickly circling his throat while her legs wrapped around his waist for needed support.

          "I'm fine, really - I didn't get hurt, after all," he informed her simply as he started off, walking at an even pace to gain enough distance and at the same time, made sure it was leisure so that she wouldn't bounce too much.  "I am far more worried about your condition than mine, Uriko…"

          "Don't worry, Sister will take care of me!  I just hope she didn't forget how to clean wounds and put bandages on though, hehe; she hasn't been working as a nurse for a while."

          "I noticed that lately, she and Yugo have been out fighting those who want to bring down the WOC quite a bit."  Kenji mused, recalling that there had been many nights where he was left home alone while the WOC's leader and the second-in-command, his girlfriend, were out conducting their own enigmatic business.

          "Oh, that!  Well, here, let me tell you what's been going on…"

          As the young couple chattered on about the events that had uncoiled while the ninja had been incapacitated, he wondered just what had triggered the sudden attainment of his eyesight.  His vision was a bit blurry, but the important matter was that he could see, and with such a large step in the right direction, he felt confident and hopeful that over time, he would regain it all back.  A wide smile stretched over his lips as his heart swelled with an overwhelming sensation of love and adoration for his girlfriend, silently thanking her for the tremendous steadfast support she had given him over the last couple of weeks.  Whatever happened next, he could overcome as long as she was by his side, and unbidden came to him an unspoken promise he had made, to do something special for her once he regained his sight…

          Kenji couldn't wait to get home; and after he made sure Uriko had fully recovered, he could begin to live again.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **Waah, I finally continued this fic after… *checks* almost three years?!  Holy shiznit!  O_O; Boy, a huge apology to those of you that read the first part and were waiting an insanely long time for this continuation…  Hey, wait, do any of you readers even remember what the first part to this little series was?  ^^0  Heh, well, if any of you do, then my thanks to you for having a great memory and being a fan for _that_ long a time…  :D  To the rest of you, I hope that you read the first part before this, because otherwise the second installment wouldn't make that much sense.  =P Anyway, as a final note, thank you all for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review!

P.S. When I get off my lazy ass and work on it, there _will_ be a third and final part to this little trilogy, and that last installation shall be an R-rated piece…  *wicked grin*  Those of you who like lemons and are interested, either keep your eye on this fic, or tell me to put you on a mailing list in your review to inform you of when I update this, okay?  Till next time!

**With love for my fans,**

**Tiger5913**


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